


Danganronpa: Despair Frenzy

by Ghostlypudding



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-03-21 08:52:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostlypudding/pseuds/Ghostlypudding
Summary: *TITLE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE OTHER SUGGESTIONS!*Hotaru Misaki is welcomed into Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Strategist. This is an opportunity she believes that she deserves, but her opportunity quickly turns into despair.Set in the universe of Danganronpa, this story is a spinoff on the existing games. It contains 16 ocs of my own and a different Hope's Peak environment. I hope (no pun intended) you can enjoy it. You can also investigate murders after each chapter yourself if you want to figure it out before the characters can!





	1. Welcoming Despair

**Author's Note:**

> Cast of characters:  
> Ikirashi Aida(Female)- Ultimate Comedian  
> Ayako Etsudo(Male)- Ultimate Chemist  
> Hotaru Misaki(Female)- Ultimate Strategist  
> Takumi Katsuro(Agender)- Ultimate Astrologist  
> Shiori Kyo(Female)- Ultimate Woodworker  
> Chioko Izumi(Demigirl)- Ultimate Negotiator  
> Hibiki Aoi(Male)- Ultimate Storyteller  
> Yoshiki Mari (Genderfluid)- Ultimate psychiatrist  
> Hachiro Kazuki(Demiboy)- Ultimate Medium  
> Miyako Hikari (Female)- Ultimate Party Animal  
> Ichiro Gorou(Male)- Ultimate Violinist  
> Kaori Ryuu(Bigender)- Ultimate Public Speaker  
> Akio Fuyuko(Male)- Ultimate Graphic Designer  
> Kenji Sayuri(Nonbinary)- Ultimate Thespian  
> Yuuka Mizushima(Female)- Ultimate Figure Skater  
> Takara Ren(Male)- Ultimate Mathematician

The students arriving at Hope’s Peak Academy this year were supposed to be some of the best. With talents ranging from Comedians to Mediums, it was also supposed to be some of the most diverse group of talents seen in the school. Hotaru Misaki was one of those students. Being invited to Hope’s Peak as the “Ultimate Strategist”, Hotaru had never had such an excellent opportunity. Hope’s Peak was, arguably, the most prestigious school in Japan. Being invited was an honour any hardworking student such as Hotaru could receive.

 

Hotaru stood in front of the towering school for just a moment when arriving, taking it all in. She couldn’t help but feel like she had this day coming. She deserved the opportunity to be at a place like this. Hope’s Peak had invited her for a reason, right? After a few more moments of admiring her new school, Hotaru stepped through the gates.

 

And everything went black.

 

Hotaru didn’t wake up in the same place she passed out, meaning she must have been moved. Why..? Why did she even pass out in the first place? Hope's Peak wasn't exactly a school that valued extreme privacy. Not to mention that drugging students seemed a little...well,illegal.

 

Hotaru was in a classroom. The school was just as pristine as she expected. She had only ever seen pictures of the outside of the school, so she only had a vague idea of what to expect. The classroom was extremely clean, and the desks were in neat rows. There weren't any other students there, though, nor was there a teacher. Something was incredibly off.

 

Hotaru looked down at the desk she was sitting in. There was a folded piece of paper with Hotaru’s name written on it. The handwriting was so clean and neat, it could just as well have been typed. She opened the paper. There was only a short note inside, written in the same handwriting.

 

_ The opening ceremony begins at 8:30 AM. Please arrive on time for introductory procedures,dormitory assignments, and regulations of the academy. _

 

Hotaru folded the note in half again and stood up. She checked the clock on the wall above the whiteboard. It was 7:15. She had a pretty large amount of time. 

 

Her eyes drifted to the Windows of the classroom. They were covered with thick metal bars, a stark contrast to the pristine look of the rest of the classroom. Nothing Hotaru had researched on Hope's Peak said anything about there being anything like this. All of this made Hotaru feel...uneasy.

 

Hotaru shoved her worries aside and walked out of the classroom. She stepped out into what seemed to be the second floor hallway. Railings surrounded the hallway, making the floor below visible. Hotaru walked to the railing and leaned over it, looking at the first floor. It seemed to be the main hall of the school. As Hotaru studied the first floor, someone tapped her shoulder. She jumped and immediately turned around. A student around her age with a pink undercut greeted her.

 

“Sorry…!” They apologized. “I didn't mean to scare you. Did you pass out and wake up in a classroom, too?”

 

“Um, yes, I did,” Hotaru nodded, dusting herself off a bit. 

 

“Ah, that's good,” The other student smiled. “I don't think we're the only two here. I saw a few people down the hall. They walked away before I could talk to them..”

 

“Ah..” Hotaru nodded. “Mm..Who are you, by the why?”

 

“Oh!” They perked up a bit. “My name is Kenji Sayuri! I'm the Ultimate Thespian.” 

 

“Ah, that makes sense,” Hotaru chuckled a bit. “I'm Hotaru Misaki. Known as the Ultimate Strategist.”

 

Kenji nodded. “That's a nice name! Well..I think I'm gonna try to find the people I saw earlier. Maybe they have an idea of what's going on.”

 

Hotaru smiled. “Okay. I'll leave you to do that on your own. I'm going to do some sleuthing myself.”

Kenji ran off with a brisk nod. Hotaru sighed a bit. Hotaru started playing with her hair a bit out of habit. She wouldn't show it, but she was nervous. What was going on? Was this really standard procedure at such a prestigious academy?

 

Hotaru shook her head to clear her troubled thoughts and turned off in the opposite direction that Kenji had went. She passed a few more classrooms and a bathroom before noticing more students. She made a mental note of the location of the rooms. 

 

Hotaru walked towards the other students with slight hesitation. As generally outgoing as she was, Hotaru still got uneasy when meeting new people. 

 

“Excuse me..?” She asked quietly. 

 

“Oh!” A girl with light blue hair and a flowing sweater turned her attention to Hotaru. “There's other people here. That's a relief. Hello!”

 

The student next to her waved with the hand that wasn't messing with their long hair. 

 

“Let me guess, you woke up in a classroom, too?” The first student asked. 

 

Hotaru responded with a simple nod. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. 

 

“Figured…” She crossed her arms. “Oh! Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Yuuka Mizushima! The Ultimate Figure Skater!”

 

The second student smiled. “I’m Yoshiki Mari. The Ultimate Psychiatrist!”

 

“Hotaru Misaki,” Hotaru stated, presenting herself in a more plain fashion than the others. “The Ultimate Strategist. I think I've heard of you two before, actually! Mizushima, you actually get paid to do routines for events and televised hockey games, right?”

 

“Yes,” Yuuka grinned. “Rumor is I can dazzle even the harshest figure skating critics in the world in just a simple 10 minutes. I don't think I'm  _ that  _ good, but I'm definitely proud of my talent. And I'm sure you've heard of what Mari’s done! They're incredible, really.”

 

“Oh, please,” Yoshiki laughed and turned to Hotaru. “I'm sure you've heard that I'm supposedly more effective at stopping suicide attempts than the police, right?”

 

Hotaru nodded. Of course she had. Yoshiki was highly idolized and was seen as a hero. 

 

“And that I've stopped a lot of potential crimes among teenagers because of how easily I can read emotions and comprehend thoughts?” Yoshiki started messing with their hair again.

 

“Of course!” Hotaru smiled. “I mean, I've done some work with the police and such, but you've both done some amazing stuff.”

 

Yuuka laughed softly. “Oh, it's really not much.” She decided to change the subject. “..Hey, Misaki, do you have any ideas as to what's going on?”

 

“I suppose it's just standard procedure for Hope's Peak, I suppose..?” Hotaru was really unsure, but that seemed like the most reasonable and optimistic answer.

 

“Maybe..” Yuuka nodded.

 

Hotaru waved goodbye to Yuuka and Yoshiki and walked further down the hall. The hall diverged into another one a few feet from where Hotaru had just been. Since she figured should scale as much of the school as she could before the opening ceremony, she walked down the hall. At the beginning of the hall, there was a single row of lockers with a room across from it. Hotaru walked up to the lockers. None of them actually had locks, and these were the only lockers in the school she had seen so far. She tried to pull one open, but it wouldn't budge. 

 

“None of them open. I tried.”

 

Hotaru jumped and turned around. A dark skinned girl in overalls and a crop top stood a few feet from Hotaru with her arms crossed. 

 

“Oh..uh..alright,” Hotaru nodded and cleared her throat. She offered a hand to the girl and introduced herself, a bit awkwardly. 

 

“Shiori Kyo,” She shook Hotaru's hand firmly. A little too firmly. “I’m The Ultimate Woodworker.”

 

“Ah, nice to meet you!” Hotaru pulled her hand away. This girl had a strong grip.

 

“Yeah, so, uh, I did try the lockers, and they're all stuck like that..” Shiori tapped her chin. “I haven't checked out this room yet..”

 

Hotaru turned to the door across from the lockers. It was dark blue and wooden, and the paint was peeling. She tried to turn the doorknob, but it didn't move. It must've been locked.

 

“Lemme try,” Shiori pushed Hotaru away so she could get to the door. She turned the knob. Still didn't move. She tried everything. Using both hands. Pulling. She even suggested breaking down the door, but Hotaru turned down the suggestion.

 

The room looked very out of place compared to the rest of the clean and tidy school. It looked much older than the rest of the academy, and the peeling paint didn't make it look any better.

 

Shiori seemed to know what Hotaru was thinking. “Mm...maybe it's under construction or something..? I don't know why they would have students come here when they're still constructing parts, but whatever…”

 

Hotaru shrugged. “I mean, I guess..”

 

She stepped away from the door and gave a lazy wave to Shiori before walking further down the hall. After passing a few classrooms, she ran into a dead end and a crossroads. She walked right first. She paused when she passed a large door. The label above the door read “staff lounge”. Hotaru likely wasn't allowed in there, but it didn't really matter, considering her current situation. This door was locked, too. 

 

Why was there even a staff lounge there, though? She hadn't seen anyone but students scattered here and there. Her only guess was that they were all preparing for the ceremony…

 

Hotaru turned her head to see another student staring at the door with their hand on their chin.

 

“Mm..it seems like the stars aren't aligning in our favor today..” They mumbled softly. 

 

“..Hello..?” Hotaru asked them.

 

They seemed surprised at the greeting. Clearing their throat and fixing their hoodie, the other student gave Hotaru a small smile. “Oh, hello!”

 

Hotaru introduced herself, polite as always. She was dealing with Ultimate Students in a very high class school, after all.

 

“Nice to meet you!” They shoved their hands in the pockets of their shorts. “You're an Aries, I can tell. This is truly a meeting destined by the stars! My name is Takumi Katsuro. I'm the Ultimate Astrologist!”

 

Hotaru had never heard of them before. It was likely because astrology wasn't considered a real science, and Takumi was likely only popular among the Wiccan community and the like. Hope's Peak was known to stretch their Ultimate Search to more obscure talents.

 

“I'm happy to meet you too!” Hotaru smiled softly at the shorter student. “And you were correct about my star sign. Not like I'm surprised, hah..”

 

“Oh, of course!” Takumi laughed and rocked back and forth on their heels. It seemed more of a nervous habit than an energetic one. “I wouldn't be the Ultimate Astrologist if I couldn't tell someone's sign easily! There's a lot of talented Astrologists out there, let me tell you.”

 

Hotaru heard footsteps behind her and turned to see who was approaching. It was a pale blond boy in glasses and ripped jeans. He seemed a bit nervous to approach Hotaru and Takumi.Hotaru smiled at him. An awkward smile, but a smile nonetheless. He waved sheepishly as he stopped in front of the two of them.

 

“Hey…” He scratched the back of his neck. “Um..The hallway on the left side only has bathrooms and another locked door. I thought I'd check over here.”

 

Hotaru nodded. “Yeah. This door is locked, too. But it's the staff lounge, so I can't say I'm surprised…” 

 

Hotaru turned to the blonde student. She offered a hand and introduced herself. He took her hand and shook it a bit awkwardly.

 

“It's a pleasure to meet you!” He smiled shyly.  “I'm Akio Fuyuko. I'm the Ultimate Graphic Designer.”

 

Hotaru smiled at him. He was clearly nervous around other people. 

 

“Was there a label on the locked door you saw?”  Takumi tilted their head. 

 

“Uh, yes..” Akio nodded. “There was. I think it said ‘research lab’ or something. The door was half painted, like they were still working on it or something…”

 

“Strange,” Takumi frowned, then paused a moment and looked at Akio. “Fuyuko, are you a Virgo?”

 

“Hm..?” He frowned. “Oh, uh, you mean my star sign? Ah..y..yes.”

 

“What I thought,” Takumi muttered silently to themself.

 

Hotaru scratched her head. What was going on? Why were the locked doors ‘research labs’? This was a school, so it wasn't terribly surprising. Even still, they should've been finished. They had students here, after all. And why were there so few students in such a large school? She had to find out more. Hotaru waved goodbye to Takumi and Akio, then took off back to the hall where she came from. She began walking down the hallway. She stopped partway when she saw two students sitting in the corner of the hallway and conversing. Hotaru was about to turn around and investigate a different part of the hallway when one of the students called to her. 

 

“Hey!” An abnormally loud voice yelled to Hotaru. “Wait up a minute!” 

 

Hotaru stopped in her tracks and spun on her heel to face the owner of the loud voice. It was a girl with unbelievably poofy orange hair and bright clothes.  _ Very _ bright clothes. 

 

“There's one more!” She grinned. “That makes 16 of us, right?” 

 

She turned to the boy that had been sitting next to her. His large green scarf covered his whole neck and part of his face. 

 

“I believe so,” He nodded. “Unless there's some other students we don't know about.”

 

“Only 16..?” Brightly-colored girl frowned. “Weird...Oh! You don't know who I am, do you? I’m Miyako Hikari! I'm The Ultimate Party Animal, so if you're looking for a good time, hit me up!”

 

Hotaru smiled softly. Miyako was a bit too outgoing for her.

 

“And I’m Hachiro Kazuki, The Ultimate Medium!” He adjusted his blazer and moved his scarf down so it no longer covered his mouth. 

 

“Nice to meet you,” Hotaru tucked her hands behind her back and greeted them both politely as she introduced herself.

 

“I was actually a little scared about all this, and I thought I was lost in this school on my own, but then I found a bunch ‘a others! And Kazuki here, he's really cool!”

 

Hotaru nodded. Her nod was stiff and awkward. She wasn't a fan of people this loud and cheerful. It was overwhelming.

 

“Mm, yeah,” Hotaru adjusted her cardigan. “I think I'm gonna look around more and try to find more people. I'll..see you around, Hikari.”

 

Hotaru took off. She turned the corner, passing more “research labs” and a few more classrooms. Nobody else seemed to be on the first floor. She walked down the stairs to the main hallway on the first floor. As she stepped off the final step, she noticed someone leaning on the wall across from the staircase. He had dramatic makeup on his thin, pale face, and had his green hair pinned to the side to stay out of his face. Hotaru approached him cautiously. He seemed to be deep in thought.

 

“Um, hello..!” Hotaru greeted him nervously.

 

He immediately turned his head to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Hello.”

 

“My name is Hotaru Misaki,” She offered. “I'm the Ultimate Strategist. I'm just trying to meet everyone here, since I've heard there's only 16 students..”

 

“My name is Ayako Etsudo,” His voice remained in the same monotone it had been since he first spoke. “The Ultimate Chemist.”

 

“Ah, that's nice..!” Hotaru laughed awkwardly. “I find it a little strange that we all passed out before coming here...this doesn't seem like something a school like this would do..”

 

“Well, all prep schools are different from others,” Ayako crossed his arms. His tone didn't change. “I'm not concerned about this being a strange procedure. Maybe it's for privacy purposes.”

 

“I...guess..?” Hotaru bit her lip. “Everything just feels..strange. I'm sure it'll get worked out soon, though.”

 

“Mhm,” Is all Ayako replied with. 

 

Hotaru didn't want to be around him anymore, and he didn't seem to want to talk anymore, so she started walking away from Ayako. Not too far from Ayako were two others, standing in front of yet another research lab. One was a clean-cut boy in a suit, the other a pristine looking girl with lavender hair. Hotaru walked towards them, hoping her footsteps would draw attention to herself rather than her having to attract it on her own.

 

Luckily, they both heard her walk over to them and turned around. 

 

“Oh..!” The boy gave Hotaru a small smile. “Hello. Did you need something..?”

 

“Ah, nothing in particular,” Hotaru shook her head. “I just want to get acquainted with the students and familiar with the school.”

 

“I see,” The boy nodded. “Well, my name is Ichiro Gorou. I'm the Ultimate Violinist!”

 

“My name is Chioko Izumi,” The girl tucked her hands behind her back. “I've been invited here ad the Ultimate Negotiator.”

 

“..Izumi?” Hotaru tilted her head. “As in the Izumi Law Firm?”

 

“Yes,” Chioko answered quickly. “That's the one. I'm the daughter of Hideaki Izumi.”

 

The Izumi Law Firm was one of the most successful in Japan. It was founded by a long family line of lawyers. Chioko was a very well known member of the family. She was good at getting what she wanted and convincing others that they were getting good deals with her. She was also a very talented member of her previous school’s debate team. Arguing with her was useless. The moment she starts talking in a debate, she's already won.

 

“I'm not surprised at all that you're here..” Hotaru crossed her arms. “You are very talented.”

 

“Thank you,” Chioko bowed her head slightly. “I'm not surprised either. It's only natural that the talented new teenager in the Izumi family would be invited into Hope’s Peak.”

 

Hotaru wasn't at all surprised by Chioko’s behavior. She was your typical spoiled brat. Maybe this school would give her some actual challenge to bring her down a leg. Hotaru certainly hoped so. 

 

Ichiro laughed softly. “Ahah, yeah.. Hey, Misaki, have you seen rooms like these before..? These research labs are really out of place.”

 

“Yes, I've seen them before. They're all over the school. I'm not sure what they're quite supposed to be. It's possible that they're still under construction or something along those lines..”

 

“That's what we thought, too,” Ichiro nodded. “I’m sure they'll tell us during the opening ceremony.”

 

Hotaru nodded. “Yeah...well, I’m gonna try and find more people. I'll see you guys later..”

 

She waved goodbye and set off back down the hall. She noticed a boy standing in the hallway, scribbling in a notebook. He seemed completely focused on whatever he was writing. Hotaru didn’t want to disturb him, so she stood a few feet away and waited for him to finish. However, when she stopped, he immediately looked up.

 

“Ah, hi..!” He smiled, closing his notebook and putting his pen behind his ear. 

 

“Hello!” Hotaru didn’t expect him to notice her right away, but she didn’t mind. Hotaru shook his hand and introduced herself.

 

“Ah, that’s an interesting talent..” He observed. “Well, I'm Takara Ren, the Ultimate Mathematician. A bit of a boring talent, I know.”

 

“Oh no, it’s not boring at all!” Hotaru shook her head. “I’ve heard of you before. You’re pretty well known. You’re a genius!”

 

“Ah..” Takara blushed. “Please don’t call me that. I don’t like being singled out as someone better than others. I’m just like you, y’know?”

 

“Ah, I see,” Hotaru apologized. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Takara reassured her. “I get it all the time.”

 

“Ah, alright..” Hotaru nodded. “May I ask what you were writing?”

 

“Oh, nothing, just notes about what I’ve picked up about the place..” 

 

“Makes sense..” Hotaru agreed. “Everything that’s happened has been a bit confusing. Well..we’ll have to be at the opening ceremony soon. I still need to meet everyone else. I’ll see you later!”

 

“It was nice meeting you,” Takara smiled as Hotaru took off.

 

She stopped at a large door. It was similar to the door of the staff lounge, but a bit larger and rounder. She looked at the label above the door.  _ Dining Hall _ . That wasn't a surprise. Most schools have some sort of dining hall. Hotaru pulled the door open and stepped inside. There were three people there, all seeming to be doing their own thing. A girl with pink-tipped brown hair was sitting at the table and just staring at it. A boy with orange hair was standing near a wall. He seemed to be thinking about something entirely different, as he kept smiling occasionally for seemingly no reason. The third student was stoic and seemed completely mesmerized by an inscription on the wall. 

 

Hotaru approached the girl sitting at the table and lightly tapped her shoulder. She jumped. 

 

“Sorry,” Hotaru apologized. “I didn't mean to scare you.”

 

“Oh no, it's fine,” She smiled, revealing plain silver braces. “I was just zoned out is all. Hello!”

 

“Hello!” Hotaru returned her smile. She introduced herself to the brown haired girl. 

 

“Nice to meet you! I'm Ikirashi Aida! The Ultimate Comedian! You can call me Iki, if you want.” 

 

Hotaru had heard that name before. She was pretty popular on the internet for her comedy videos, and she later had a brief comedy tour around Japan. Her humor wasn't really what Hotaru enjoyed, but she still respected her talent. 

“It's nice to meet you too,” Hotaru nodded. “Were you zoning out about anything specific?”

 

“Ahah, no,” Ikirashi shook her head. “Just thinking is all. Mostly about how strange it is that we got here the way we did.”

 

“Yes…” Hotaru shifted her weight to one of her hips. “We all passed out and woke up in classrooms..it feels strange.”

 

“..Hey, did they take your cell phone, too?” Iki tilted her head.

 

Hotaru didn't even think about that. She checked the pocket of her cardigan where she had left it. Nothing. She frowned.

 

“Yeah. They took mine too.”

 

“Weird…” Iki frowned. “Everyone else I talked to had theirs confiscated, too…”

 

“That is strange..” Hotaru said. “I'm sure we'll get them back after the opening ceremony, though.”

 

“Probably,” Iki smiled.

 

Hotaru ended the conversation with a simple nod and made her way over to the orange haired boy. 

 

“Excuse me?” She asked.

 

He jumped slightly, but returned her statement with a smile. “Ah, hello. Sorry, I hadn't expected someone to talk to me..”

 

“Don't worry,” Hotaru reassured him. “Who are you, if I may ask?”

 

“Oh! Hibiki Aoi, the Ultimate Storyteller! I've got plenty of stories up my sleeve, on the spot. I'm ready to entertain!”

 

Hotaru smiled wider. He was very excited about his talent. “Nice to meet you!”

 

“Are you getting a strange vibe from all this, too?” Hibiki asked. “This reminds me of an old horror story...”

 

“Oh..?” Hotaru frowned. “I mean, this is a bit strange, but I wouldn't put too much thought into it..”

 

“I suppose you're right..” Hibiki said. “I tend to worry a little too much.”

 

Hotaru smiled at him. She turned and walked to greet the student reading the inscription on the wall. Hotaru took a look at it to see what made them so intrigued by it. 

 

It was just the Hope's Peak logo and the school’s motto, “May you reach the highest point and live on with hope”. The motto had seemed cheesy and almost rushed to Hotaru, but she understood the thought process behind it. Nothing about the inscription seemed interesting enough to be staring at it, though. 

 

“Strange..” The student looking at the wall muttered. 

 

“What's strange..?” Hotaru frowned. 

 

“There's a big mistake on the logo. Too much of the wall is chipped out.”

 

“I didn't even notice that..are you sure it's that important?” Hotaru asked quietly. 

 

“Yes, in fact, it does,” They turned to look at Hotaru. “A prestigious school like this shouldn't have let mistakes such as this just slip by.”

 

“..Uh-huh..” Hotaru simply nodded. 

 

“Ah, anyway..” They shook their head. “I suppose you want to know who I am. My name is Kaori Ryuu. The Ultimate Public Speaker.”

 

Hotaru was surprised by this. At first glance, they certainly didn't seem like the public speaking type. Then again, this whole school was full of strange and surprising students. 

 

Suddenly, a school bell rang throughout the building. Hotaru checked the clock in the dining hall. It was 8:25. It was nearly time for the opening ceremony. 

 

“I've been to the gym,I can take you,” Kaori offered. 

 

“Please do,” Hotaru nodded.

 

Kaori led Hotaru to the gym. The others came from different directions, all going to the opening ceremony. They stepped into the gym at almost exactly 8:30. Hotaru gave a grateful nod to Kaori before they walked in a different direction in the gym.

 

All 16 students stood in the large gym, facing the stage. They all seemed to be filled with anticipation and nerves. Everyone could tell that there was something off about the school, but no one could tell what it was.

 

The students stood there for an extra minute before there was finally movement on the stage. Something popped up from behind the podium.

 

A..stuffed bear..?

 

A small black and white cartoon-like bear had appeared from behind the podium and behind talking.

 

“Hello, students of Hope’s Peak Academy!” It called into the microphone. It's voice was high pitched and cartoonish. “I'm glad you could all make it. Allow me to introduce myself! I am headmaster Monokuma!”

 

“H..Headmaster??” Yuuka questioned. “What's going on? What are you?”

 

“Do not interrupt the principal when he’s speaking!” Monokuma hissed. “I'd like to welcome you to our wonderful school!”

 

“This is a joke, right??” Kenji stepped closer to the stage. “There's no way Hope’s Peak’s Principal is some teddy bear!”

 

“Do you children have no manners??” Monokuma scoffed. “Have you no respect for your headmaster?? No, this isn't a joke!! If you want jokes, you should've gone to our Ultimate Comedian!”

 

“Why'd we pass out?” Takumi asked, a bit timidly. “Is this just how you do things here? Why?”

 

“Tsk, Tsk..!” Monokuma shook his head in disapproval. “I was hoping you'd have some sort of clue by now. Guess I have to do all the heavy lifting around here! This, my dear students, is a  **killing game** !”

 

Collective shock and terror filled the room.

 

“N..No way..!” Hibiki shouted. “This has to be a joke! Or a bad dream! A  _ killing game _ ?”

 

“Nope, this is completely real!” Monokuma stood on top of the podium. “And don't try running outta here, either. All the doors to the outside world are locked and the windows are bolted tight. You're stuck here!”

 

“No..!” Akio shook his head. “No way..”

 

“Upupupu!” Monokuma laughed. “In order to get out of here, you gotta snuff one of your classmates without getting caught!”

 

Hotaru was speechless. Her breath was uneven and her heart was beating faster than it had ever before. She clenched her fists tightly. There was no way this could be real. This was just some sick joke. Or just a bad dream. 

 

“We aren't gonna kill each other..!” Ikirashi cried. “We aren't going to murder and you can't make us!”

 

“Oh~?” Monokuma snickered. “Do you really believe that not even  _ one person _ in this room would commit murder so they can graduate?”

 

“Of course..!” Ikirashi growled. “We're just kids! We wouldn't kill each other..!”

 

“So all we have to do is kill someone here without getting caught, and we get to go free?” Chioko asked calmly.

 

“W..Why do you seem so interested in this??” Ichiro stammered. 

 

“It's not that simple, my dear trust fund kid!” Monokuma made a motion with his paw to indicate he was wagging a finger. “After one student murders another and becomes ‘blackened’, you kids will have to investigate the crime scene. Once investigation time is done, a class trial is held to find out who the culprit is!”

 

“..Trial..?” Takumi asked sheepishly. 

 

“Yes!” Monokuma was giddy. “During a class trial, you will all argue and figure out who the blackened is. Then, once you think you have a decision, you will all vote on who you think the culprit is! If the majority votes correctly, only the blackened will receive punishment. However! If the majority votes for someone innocent, everyone else will be punished and the blackened goes free!”

 

“..Punishments?” Hotaru’s voice was shaky. “W..What kind of..punishments..?”

 

“Well, since we're talking about committing murder here, these punishments could also be called executions!” Monokuma answered. 

 

“Oh my god...oh god..” Akio looked terrified. He was shaking, and his eyes were wide in terror.

 

“Oh, I nearly forgot!” Monokuma ducked behind the podium again and pulled out a plastic bin.  He dropped it on the floor in front of the stage. “Each of you need to take the one of these that has your name on it. These are very important pieces of equipment, so do not lose them!”

 

The plastic bin was full of small electric tablets- half black, half white. They were all turning on, displaying the names of each student. Hotaru picked up the one with her name on the screen.

 

“These are your monopads!” Monokuma announced. “They contain vital information about this school, the rules, and more, so keep it with you, and don't lose it!”

 

“That's all for now, kiddos!” Monokuma declared. “Happy killing!” 

 

He disappeared behind the podium again. 

 

Hotaru looked down at her monopad. It was on now. There were only two options at the time. She pressed  _ School Rules and Regulations _ . She tapped through the list of rules Monokuma had already told them about the killing game. There were rules she didn't know.

 

_ Destruction of the Monopads is strictly forbidden and will be punished. _

 

_ Nighttime is from 10pm to 6am. Some areas are off limits during nighttime, so be careful.  _

 

_ Sleeping is only allowed in the dorms during nighttime. Sleeping anywhere else will be considered napping in class and will be punished accordingly.  _

 

_ Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited. _

 

_ If two people team up to commit a murder, only the person who actually commits the murder will be considered the blackened. _

 

_ One student can kill up to only two people. Killing more than two students results in immediate punishment. _

 

_ The killing game will continue until only two students remain, or the blackened is not uncovered during a trial. _

 

_ If a murder does not occur within the first three days of the killing game, all participating students will be killed. _

 

The last rule was especially horrifying.

 

“No..no, no, no..!” Takumi cried. “I can't do this..this is awful..!”

 

Kenji rushed over to comfort Takumi. “Hey..hey..! It's gonna be okay..! We aren't gonna kill each other..right?” 

 

They turned to the others in the room. Most of them were still in shock, but there seemed to be a silent agreement amongst the students. 

 

“I feel it's best we don't give Monokuma what he wants,” Chioko spoke up. “We all go down together. Murdering each other will just satisfy him.”

 

“Yeah!” Shiori agreed. “I'm not giving that fucking teddy bear what he wants!”

 

“So we’re just gonna sit here and wait for death?” Takara sputtered.

 

“Escape seems pretty much impossible, so it’s really our only option,” Chioko sighed.

 

“Bullshit!” Kenji pointed to Chioko. “We can’t give up this quickly. There’s gotta be some way out! We had to get in here somehow, so there’s gotta be a way out!”

 

“I’ve checked all the exits,” Chioko crossed her arms. “They’re all locked. We’re trapped.”

 

“We only had an hour and fifteen minutes before the ceremony!” Kenji yelled. “We need to search more!”

 

“Would you quit it?” Takara shouted at Kenji. “Everything is locked. We can’t break out. We’re stuck here.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re all just giving up!” Kenji hissed. They’d been holding the hand of the trembling Takumi the whole time. “You’re just going to sit back while the time ticks away?”

 

Hotaru had enough. “Can you all just shut up?” She shouted over the crowd. Everyone immediately stopped talking.

 

“We can’t afford to be fighting with each other! The only thing we  _ can _ do is look for a way out. think it’s worth a shot. We have nothing to lose. It’s not like it’s against the rules to look for for an exit.”

 

“Do you wonder why that is, Misaki?” Chioko turned to her and growled. “Because Monokuma is toying with us. There  _ isn’t  _ a way out.”

 

“Oh my god!” Hotaru took a step closer to her. “Are you just determined to be right? Are you so stubborn that you don’t even want to  _ try _ ?”

 

“Tch..” Chioko narrowed her eyes. “I’m not stubborn, just smart. Do you really think they’d trap us here and put us in a killing game with the motivation being ‘graduation’ only to miss the fact that there’s a way out?”

 

“Even the most intelligent of people make mistakes,Izumi,” Hotaru crossed her arms. “We can’t know for sure if we don’t even fucking try.”

 

“Fine!” Chioko scoffed. “I guess we really don’t have anything else to lose..”

 

Kenji sighed. “Thank you, Misaki..”

 

“I think it’s best we all investigate in a group, just in case someone is tempted to murder..” Takara suggested.

 

Hotaru didn’t want to think of that, but it was the safest way. There were definitely some students among them that might commit murder..

 

After the group collected themselves, they were all together and prepared to look for any way out.

 

Hotaru was the last of the students to leave. She wouldn’t show it, but this situation terrified her. She didn’t know if she would be the first to be killed. She just had to pray for the best.


	2. Crushing Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students try and look for a way to escape their new prison, and discover yet another secret. The tension is high, and Hotaru and some of her new friends discover a possible new secret behind their imprisonment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It's been a while, sorry. School and procrastination got in the way, and I've been low on inspiration and motivation. But it's finally here! There'll be death soon, I promise. ;)

The group of teenagers stood in the main hallway of their new prison, right outside the gym door. Chioko was at the front of the group. She was quite obviously a leadership-centered person. Hotaru knew that she was a different kind of leader, though. Hotaru was a leader, too. She could take charge and guide people if need be. Chioko could clearly do that, too, but right off the bat, Hotaru could tell that she was only good a being a leader because she enjoyed being in charge.

 

Judging by Chioko’s stubbornness and bitter attitude towards her earlier, Hotaru knew Chioko would be the one to try and take control of the group of students.

 

“We can probably rule out the front door,” Chioko noted as she took a step forward. “I think we should check this room as much as we can. The main hall seems a likely candidate for a way out.”

 

Shiori seemed to notice Chioko’s need to take control as well. She clearly didn't have the most stable emotions. 

 

“No less than five minutes ago, you were arguing with Misaki about there being  _ no _ possible exits!” Shiori jeered and took a step closer to Chioko. “I know you agreed to help, but it seems a little hypocritical for you to take charge of this search after being so critical of it.”

 

“Are you saying I'm wrong?” Chioko scoffed. “All I'm saying is that if there's any possible exits, they're likely here.”

 

Shiori clenched her fists. “Well-”

 

“Stop that,” Kenji sighed. “We don't have the time to fight with each other. It's not worth it. If we want to get out of here, we have to cooperate!”

 

“..But...she…” Shiori huffed, then nodded after a moment. “Fine.”

 

“Thank you, Sayuri…” Chioko inhaled deeply. “Anyway...I think we should all just spread out around here and look. Don't overlook anything. Anywhere could be an exit..”

 

A few hushed ‘okays’ came from the group, the rest simply nodding. Everyone seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, whether it be from the looming threat of the killing game or Chioko’s unwanted leadership.

 

Hotaru quickly stepped out and started walking to the opposite all to investigate. She refused to let Chioko intimidate her. Hotaru was extremely stubborn and refused to be vulnerable. She was the Ultimate Strategist, after all. There was an image she had to uphold, and this bratty snob wouldn't ruin it.

 

Hotaru kneeled down next to a wall and started feeling around. Chances were that the exit was some hidden door or fake floor panel. 

 

The other students began to disperse around the hallway. Hotaru began pushing on the wall, hoping to find some loose panel or button. After a moment of this, someone approached her. 

 

“Um..can you do me a favor?” They asked. 

 

Hotaru looked up. It was Takumi, blushing slightly. She nodded and stood.

 

“What is it?” She asked softly.

 

“I, uh..” Takumi stammered, nervously scratching the back of their neck. “I was hoping to reach that vent, since I'm..probably the only one small enough to fit..” They pointed at the vent above Hotaru’s head. 

 

“Oh, you need a hand?” Hotaru smiled at Takumi reassuringly. “Here. Get on my shoulders.”

 

Takumi smiled and did as instructed. It felt a bit silly to Hotaru, but a little embarrassment would be worth it to find a way to get out. The smaller student wrapped their legs a bit awkwardly around Hotaru’s chest so they wouldn't fall, then lifted their hands to try and remove the vent grate.

 

“Uh...can you..get a little closer..?” Takumi requested. “I can't quite reach..”

 

Hotaru took a step forward. Her hands were secured on Takumi’s ankles to stop them from falling.

 

Takumi grabbed the sides of the vent grate and pulled. It didn't budge. The vent was likely nailed onto the wall. Of course, Takumi didn't immediately think that and decided to keep trying. They pulled and pulled, causing Hotaru to have to clutch their ankles even tighter, but came up with nothing. 

 

A voice interrupted their mission. 

 

“ _ What _ are you  _ doing _ ?”

 

The speaking was sudden and it caught Hotaru off guard. She whipped around and she instinctively let go of Takumi. This caused Takumi to come crashing to the floor and directly into the person who spoke. Takumi was the only one who fell-the person they fell on felt almost like a brick wall.

 

It was Ayako. He was standing a few feet away from where Hotaru had been standing, arms crossed. Clearly unfazed by Takumi toppling om him, he tilted his head.

 

“Did you really think the vent grate would just be loose?” His voice was the same monotone, and he still held the same emotionless expression. “In a place like this?”

 

“I,uh…” Takumi rubbed the back of their head. They didn't seem to be hurt too badly.  They hadn't fallen that far from the ground. “I just wanted to check…! Like Izumi said, we can’t skip any possibilities..”

 

“You should’ve at least assumed that it would be bolted on..” Ayako rolled his eyes. 

 

“Ngh-” Takumi rubbed their head and stood up. “Why do you care, anyway?”

 

“We can’t waste time,” His constant emotionless tone was starting to get unnerving. 

 

“Just drop it,” Hotaru cut in. “If you’re so worried about wasting time, why don’t you go back to your own search?”

 

“Tch…” He huffed and simply walked away.

 

Takumi watched Ayako walk away, arms crossed. They then looked down at the floor.

 

“Sorry I made you do that..” They mumbled. “I just wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything, I..”

 

“Don’t feel bad,” Hotaru put a hand on the shorter student’s shoulder. She could tell they were easily hurt. “You shouldn’t listen to him. He probably just wants a rise out of you..”

 

“Mhm..” Takumi took a deep breath and shook their head. “Whatever! I’m gonna go check out some other areas. Thanks for helping me!”

 

Hotaru nodded and walked Takumi run off. Sighing softly, she made her way to the staircase and stood under it. She moved her hand around the wall next to it. The doors clearly wouldn't lead her out, but there was bound to be some sort of hidden exit in the school. Under the staircase seemed like a logical place to hide it. Lost in her thoughts, Hotaru was caught off guard when part of the wall gave way under her hand. 

 

There was a hidden passage. 

 

The wall parted from where Hotaru had pressed it, revealing a dark room.

 

“Hey..!” She called over her shoulder to the other students.  “I found something!” 

 

The others started walking behind Hotaru, who stepped into the room. She felt along the wall and turned on the light. The room held a bunch of file cabinets, and there was a metal door in the back.

 

“What the hell??” Shiori shouted as she stepped in. “What is this?”

 

She walked to the door and moved her hand to look for a doorknob, but there wasn't one. 

 

“Looks like you need a keycard to open it,” Yuuka observed from behind Shiori, where she had just appeared. “Why is this here?”

 

“Maybe this is a room for Monokuma?” Ichiro suggested. “Probably a secret office or something..”

 

“Maybe this is where the security cameras send footage to,” Chioko suggested. “If it wasn't obvious, they're everywhere. One could only assume they're there so Monokuma can monitor our every move. It's possible that he's using this room to watch us.”

 

“Yeah, but..” Yuuka frowned, looking at the device to swipe the keycard on. “This is way too high up for Monokuma to reach…”

 

“Maybe this is a room that staff here used..?” Ichiro shrugged. “It's a bit...cryptic, though.”

 

“The file cabinets are locked, too,” Kenji observed. They were kneeled down next to one of the cabinets. “You need a passcode.”

 

Hotaru was starting to get an idea of what was happening. But she wasn't quite sure, and she didn't want to say something wrong, so she stayed quiet.

 

“I think I have an idea of what's going on,” Chioko’s voice cut through the group's confusion. She stepped up to the door, pushing Yuuka aside and kneeling in front of the device on the door. “This is clearly meant for a human to get into this room, and these file cabinets. Monokuma couldn't reach any of the cabinets, or this door.” She stood up again and turned to face the group, an icy glare in her eye. “If I had to guess, I'd say there's a traitor amongst us.”

 

“Traitor?” Miyako raised an eyebrow. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

 

“I  _ mean _ ,” Chioko said impatiently. “That someone in this group is the person who orchestrated this killing game. This door is a means for them to get in and out of this room, which is locked to keep regular students away. I have a hard time believing that  _ this _ would be some room used by the staff. The security is too high, and it's too hidden.”

 

“Woah, slow down there, trust fund!” Shiori took a step closer to Chioko with crossed arms. “It's way too early to be accusing anyone like this!”

 

“I am not accusing anyone,” Chioko turned her glare to Shiori. “I’m just saying that it's extremely likely that one of us is the mastermind behind this.”

 

“Alright!” Takumi shouted from the corner of the room they were standing in.  “Which one of you is a Scorpio? They're known for being very manipulative- which one of you is it?!”

 

“Oh my  _ god _ ,” Miyako groaned. “Can you shut up about astrology bullshit for one minute? This is serious!”

 

“I am being serious!” Takumi spat, offended.

 

“I don't know about you all,” Chioko crossed her arms. “But I won't be staying around here any longer, knowing I could be killed and that any one of you could be the traitor.” She started walking out of the room. “I'll see you.”

 

Hotaru grabbed her arm as she walked back. “Izumi, wait.”

 

“Do  _ not _ touch me,” Chioko hissed, yanking her arm away and continuing to walk off. It was clear that she was even more untrusting than she seemed.

 

The group stared at Chioko as she walked off, the tension between everyone rising again. Was she right..? Was the person behind the killing game..really in there with them?

 

“God, I can't stand that spoiled brat!” Shiori growled. “I’m gonna show her what for for being such a bit-”

 

“I wouldn't do that,” Ayako interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Shiori slightly. “Committing violence against your classmates wouldn't go over too well in a killing game.”

 

“What, you want some too?” Shiori stepped towards Ayako. 

 

“Did you hear me at all?” He scoffed, turning on his heel and making his way to the door. “Whatever. I'll be making my leave, too. You're all insufferable.”

 

With that, he walked out of the room.

 

“What a fuckin' creep,” Miyako sneered. “Who the hell  does he think he is?”

 

“A high school student, probably,” Ikirashi joked bluntly.

 

Hotaru sighed to herself. So much for working together. This group certainly wasn't one that would cooperate well, especially with people like Ayako and Chioko among them. They'd have to be forced to cooperate with each other, otherwise they would all be killed. There wasn't a whole lot of room for negotiation.

 

“I think we should..stop looking for now..” Takara sighed. “I’m...still taking this all in. I can't even begin to try and look for an exit when my mind is so foggy.”

 

“I think that's a good idea,” Hachiro nodded. “There's a very dense evil presence in this place...it’s really starting to get to me..” 

 

And so, the group started to split off, all going their separate directions. It would be nighttime soon, anyway. It had certainly been a long day for each and every student there, and no one was going to take their current circumstances lightly. Hotaru stayed behind, her mental gears still running. 

 

“Hey, ‘taru?” Asked a voice from behind her. Kenji. Already on a nickname basis, huh?

 

“What is it?” Hotaru asked, turning around. She was a little surprised- she thought she was the only one that stayed behind. 

 

“I...I think Izumi is right,” Kenji said a bit apprehensively. “I hate to admit it, but..this room is probably for the mastermind behind all this.”

 

“I don't see any other logical possibilities..” Hotaru nodded. “Not that anything else here has made any sense..”

 

“Do you think we could catch them?” Kenji asked, glancing at the door. They were clearly already trying to think of a way to catch whoever went in there. 

 

“It would be difficult..” Hotaru tapped her chin. “But I think there's a chance.” 

 

While she was already thinking of a plan, she didn't want to reveal it just yet. For all she knew, Kenji could be the one behind it all. She wasn't going to be so trusting of this person right away.

 

“I'll let you know if I figure something out.”

 

Without letting Kenji get another word in, Hotaru left. She felt a bit wrong for being so cold, but putting trust in anyone so quickly in the killing game was a bad move. Even still, she would likely end up executing her plan on her own, just to be safe. There was never an absolute guarantee that Kenji wasn't the one behind all of it, and letting them in on the plan could ruin it and possibly risk her life. Maybe she could talk to Kenji more to try and see if they were trustworthy..

 

She shook her head. It wasn't the time for that. Her head was still running and reality had barely started to set in yet. If she didn't get rest soon, she wouldn't be able to think of any plan to get out or to catch the mastermind. She caught herself yawning as she made her way to her dorm room. All of it felt so unreal. Trapped with 15 other students in a killing game controlled by a monochrome bear...it just seemed like an abnormal fever dream.

 

Her train of thought was cut off by a voice in the hallway leading to the dorms. “Excuse me.”

 

Hotaru perked up and turned her head and looked at the source of the voice. Kaori. “Oh, hello. Did you need something..?”

 

Kaori cleared their throat. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright. I..feel that the group is starting to rely on you a bit too much. It is nice to have a leader..but in this situation I think that it’s too much pressure on you.”

 

Hotaru frowned, a bit taken aback by Kaori’s sudden kindness. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She assured them. “I’m just...this is all really confusing and I’m really tired..thank you for your concern, though.”

 

“Oh, of course,” Kaori gave a soft smile-probably the first time they had smiled the whole day. “Goodnight, Misaki.” 

 

With that, they walked off to their dorm. Hotaru sighed. They were in an awful situation, but at least there were some good people there…

 

Her mind still racing, Hotaru made her way to her dorm. The day’s events had left her exhausted, confused, and afraid. She would never admit it to the others, but she was terrified. Anyone could die at any moment, and if no murders occured within three days, they would all be killed. There wasn’t much hope of an exit, either. Everything about it was soul-crushing. Maybe that was the point..

 

The moment Hotaru entered her room, she locked the door behind her and flopped onto her bed. Exhaustion was setting in, and her body felt weak and fatigued. A killing game..she was really trapped in a killing game. She could die at any moment, and all she could do was hope..

 

Despite all of her racing thoughts and every possible thing that could go wrong, Hotaru managed to drift off into sleep. The next days to come would be the longest of her life.

  
  
  



	3. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I kinda fit a lot of information in this chapter, hope it's okay! Sorry I took so long, inspiration is hard, lol.

“Rise and shine, kiddos! Time to start another wonderful day! Chop, chop, no time to lose!”

 

Hotaru had a very rude awakening. Seems that Monokuma did morning announcements every day to wake the students up. Seemed a bit unnecessary..but since he was still treating it like it was a normal school, it didn't seem out of the ordinary for Monokuma. She groaned as she forced herself out of bed, holding her head. The time she fell asleep was a mystery to her, since she had crashed almost immediately after she laid down. Rubbing her eyes, Hotaru glanced at the clock on the wall. Eight A.M..the end of Monokuma’s set “nighttime” hours. The others would likely be waiting in the dining hall..

 

Hotaru didn’t take a second more than she needed to get ready. She might be suspicious if she took too long to get to the dining hall..if the others were even going to be there. They didn’t really set that as an expectation...hopefully they would all have similar thoughts to Hotaru.

 

The girl took off as soon as she could to the dining hall. She nearly forgot where it was, having to check the map on her monopad to make sure she was going the right way. She felt so disoriented..this school felt entirely foreign to her, and the atmosphere and looming threat of death wasn’t helping a bit. Quickly, she shook her head to clear her thoughts before stepping into the dining hall. A few others had already arrived. The two she noticed first were Kenji and Takumi, happily laughing and talking despite the early start. They seemed to get along quickly..

 

Hotaru took a seat at the dining hall table,across from Kenji and Takumi. She smiled softly. “Good morning. You two seem to be in a good mood.”

 

“Yep!” Takumi said with a grin. “I think we should make the best out of a bad situation, you know! Besides, this is the first time I’ve met Kenji in person!”

 

“What?” Hotaru asked, tilting her head.

 

“Well..” Kenji started. Their voice was just as enthusiastic as Takumi’s. “I met Kumi a few months back, on the internet. We’ve been..best friends for a long time. We did a lot of video calls and stuff like that, but we actually met in person..!”

 

They both seemed really excited to see each other, despite the awful circumstances that led them to meet each other..they were certainly optimistic.

 

“Huh..” Hotaru couldn’t help but smile. Their joy was almost contagious. “That’s nice. It sucks you guys had to meet this way, but..at least you met!”

 

“Yes, it really does seem great that you’re going to die with your best friend.” A familiar cold voice interrupted, cutting through the cheerful air. Chioko, sitting at the end of the table. “Could you two keep it down? I’m exhausted.”

 

“Aww, quit ruining the mood!” Takumi whined, turning their attention to her. “We gotta stay positive, you know!”

 

“You think I care about the mood?” Chioko snapped. Her temper seemed even shorter than it had yesterday. “I barely slept, we’re all going to die in two days, and I had to wake up to that goddamn bear’s voice.”

 

“Damn, you’re pessimistic..” Kenji frowned, then immediately perked up, getting an idea. “Hey, I know what'll wake you up just fine!” They stood up, putting their hands on the table. “I’m gonna go make some coffee! Anyone else want some?”

 

“Me, please,”Hotaru raised her hand slightly, looking up at Kenji, who gave her a thumbs up.

 

“Kumi?” Kenji asked, glancing at the shorter teenager. “You want some?”

 

“Ahah, no thank you..” Takumi shook their head. “Caffeine isn’t good for my body..”

 

“Gotcha!” Kenji nodded and made their way to the kitchen. Hotaru watched them walk off..it really was amazing how happy they could be in a situation like this...where everything felt hopeless..

 

“Goooood morning, Hope’s Peak!” Called a loud voice from the door. Miyako stood in the doorway, a gigantic grin on her face. Seems Kenji and Takumi weren’t the only ones being positive about their situation. “How’re my favorite sleuths doing?” She sat herself across from Chioko at the opposite end of the table,putting her feet on the table and leaning back.

 

“Good morning, Hikari!” Takumi waved happily, obviously glad to have someone else who was just as positive as they were.

 

“Could you  _ be _ any more annoying?” Chioko shot an icy glare at the orange-haired girl.

 

“Well, I  _ could _ ,” Miyako smirked. “If you really wanted me to.”

 

“I absolutely do  _ not _ ,” Chioko just worsened her glare. 

 

“Fine, whatever..” Miyako laughed.

 

Someone else came running into the kitchen, seeming to be out of breath. It was Hachiro-he must have been following Miyako but couldn’t keep up. 

 

“H..Hikari..!” He breathed, exasperated. “You..you shouldn’t run off like that, I d..don’t know my way around the halls!”

 

“Hm?” Miyako turned her attention to him. “Heh...sorry, Kazuki. I’m just hungry, honestly. Guess we’re here pretty early, though..”

 

“It’s fine..” Hachiro sighed, pulling down his scarf to reveal his mouth as he did. “Just...don’t run ahead of me next time..”

 

Hotaru stared at him for a moment. Clearly, the others were already starting to form bonds with each other. It was..comforting. Despite their situation, they were still trying to get along and make friends. No matter what happened, even if they all died, they wouldn’t die with a bunch of complete strangers. It made Hotaru happy to think about..that everyone was trying to stay hopeful. 

 

“Kazuki, can I ask you a question?” Takumi asked, looking at him. 

 

“Go ahead,” Hotaru could only assume Hachiro was smiling, but she couldn’t be sure, since his scarf was covering his mouth. 

 

“Uh..” They seemed confused on how to phrase the question. “What’s up with your scarf? Don't you like...get hot in it..?” They blushed a little as they talked, likely thinking that they had asked a stupid question.

 

“Oh..!” Hachiro pulled his scarf down to reveal his mouth. “This..? My grandmother knitted it for me a few years back..it’s, um, it’s the last thing I have of her, so I haven’t taken it off since she gave it to me..” His voice softened a bit as he talked. “It, uh, does get hot sometimes, but I’m used to it, aha..”

 

“Oh-!” Takumi gasped into their hands. “I, uh..I’m sorry she passed..I think it’s great you have a piece of her everywhere you go..!”

 

“Mhm..” Hachiro smiled softly, running the fibers of the scarf between his fingers. “But, hey, just because someone dies, it doesn’t mean that they’re gone forever! That's what being a spirit medium is all about..!”

 

“Ah, I guess so..!” They smiled softly. Something about that sentence seemed to trouble them a little..

 

The door to the kitchen opened, and Kenji walked out, carrying a few mugs on a tray. They put one of them in front of Chioko, another in front of Hotaru, and put the last on the spot of the table where they were sitting. “There! That should cure what ails ‘ya!” They said cheerfully. It was miraculous that they could be so happy and loud all the time..

 

Soft footsteps were heard as two more people entered. Kaori, followed by Yuuka. Kaori looked wide awake, despite the early wake up call. They gave a small wave to the group before sitting down.

 

Yuuka carried herself with a bit less grace than she normally did. She seemed pretty tired..but then again, everyone did. Chioko mumbled what might be considered a thank you and took a sip of coffee. That girl had quite a lot of pride, clearly..

 

Hotaru smiled and Kenji and nodded at them in gratitude. She really appreciated their kind gestures and positive attitude. Lord knew they all needed it…

 

“Mmph..morning, you guys…” Yuuka mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat down. “I'm...guessing you guys didn't sleep very well either, huh..?”

 

“I kinda passed out the second I hit my bed..” Kenjii explained, laughing weakly. “So I guess I slept pretty well…”

 

“Sure wish I did.” Hotaru responded, taking a sip of her coffee. Her exhaustion was really setting in, now that she was thinking about it. It was a good thing Kenji brought that coffee.. “I was exhausted, too, but I was restless..”

 

The rest of the students started to file in quicker as the time passed. First Yoshiki, followed by Akio..then Ichiro, then Shiori, and Hibiki…The last two to walk in were Iki, who claimed to have gotten lost, and Takara, who overslept. All of the students were gathered in the dining hall..with one exception. Ayako hadn't shown up yet.

 

“Hey, where'd that creep go off to?” Miyako asked as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. “I swear to god, if he's skulking around planning something, I'm gonna personally hunt him down and sucker punch him.”

 

“H..Hey..!” Takumi stammered. They gripped at the table nervously, leaning in to look at Miyako. “Let's not get irrational here! Maybe he just didn't know we're all in here!”

 

“Are you seriously defending that fucking weirdo?” Scoffed Shiori. “If he's not here in ten minutes, my guess is that he's dead or he's off planning some freaky shit!”

 

“Just calm down for a second, would you?” Yoshiki cut in. “No one's dead, and I'm sure Etsudo will be here soon. He may be a little eccentric, but I doubt he's actually planning to do anything harmful..”

 

Hotaru sighed quietly to herself. The small amount of hope she had built up from seeing people start ro get along faded...her classmates seemed to be a little unnecessarily pressed..

 

The tension was cut when the dining room door creaked open and a voice spoke. “I didn't know we agreed to have meetings here.” 

 

The sudden noise seemed to startle Takumi, and they yelped, turning to face the source of the voice. Ayako, as expected, was standing in front of the door, arms crossed. His face was unreadable, showing no discernable emotion. Looking at him for too long made Hotaru shudder a bit. Ayako stepped closer to the group, but took a seat at a smaller table away from the others.

 

“It's rude to stare.” He deadpanned with a chuckle that made his statement more threatening rather than lighthearted.

 

“Well maybe if you had come earlier and didn't have such a creepy-ass expression all the time, we wouldn't be staring at you!” Miyako spat, sending an icy glare in Ayako's direction. “Seriously, what's your deal?”

 

Ayako turned his gaze to her, his expression unchanging. “My  _ deal  _ is that I'm stuck in here with total strangers who I don't trust and I could die at any moment.” He rested his elbows on the table and raised an eyebrow at Miyako. “I don't think acting friendly is going to be of much help to me here.”

 

“Asshole.” Miyako sneered, crossing her arms and looking away.

 

“..Well, whatever,” Kenji tried to divert the group's attention away from Ayako. All he was doing was stringing up everyone's nerves again. “..Can I ask you all something?” They tilted their head to the side. “Did you all have a ‘present’ from monokuma left in your room? Some...weapon of some sort?”

 

“I did.” Yuuka spoke up, carefully raising a hand as she did. “I..d..don't know if everyone's comfortable sharing what Monokuma left them, but I got a pair of scissors…” Her shoulders tensed a bit, and her eyes were on the table.

 

Hotaru blinked. A gift from Monokuma..? She hadn't even looked anywhere but her bed yet..but leaving weapons seemed like a perfect way to encourage them to kill..

 

“So it wasn't just me.” Ichiro added with a slight frown. Hotaru couldn't help but notice how straight his posture was. His demeanor seemed so high-class, he almost made Hotaru embarrassed. “I guess he wanted to give us more motivation to murder…”

 

“Yeah, but..” Muttered Takumi. “We won't use the weapons he gave us, right? I...I think we should all take them out of our rooms and hide them somewhere we won't be tempted!”

 

“Good idea, Kumi-!” Kenji was interrupted by Chioko.

 

“And  _ where _ do you suggest we keep the weapons, Katsuro?” Chioko asked with another glare. “There's no place here we can hide them without at least one person knowing where they are. That person would then have access to  _ all  _ of the weapons we were given.” 

 

“I think..we just need to trust that we won't use the weapons,” Yuuka sighed, resting her head in her hands. She paused for a second. “...If..it's not a problem for you all..”

 

“I wouldn’t trust you guys with safety scissors, let alone actual deadly weapons, but..” Miyako shrugged. “..Whatever, I guess.”

 

Hotaru tapped her fingers on the table. This was..nerve wracking, but Chioko had a point. While she may not have phrased it in the most elegant way, putting all the weapons in one place was a worse idea then keeping individual ones in locked rooms. Besides, there were plenty of other weapons available around the school, so taking away these ones wouldn't help much. 

 

“Now that that’s, um, out of the way..” Yoshiki cleared her throat. “Does anyone have any ideas on how we might be able to get out? Or..something?”

 

“Well, we barely looked yesterday, so...nope.” Shiori gave a shrug and rested her hands behind her head.

 

“..But, uh, we...we got somewhere, right..?” Akio pushed his glasses up as he spoke, then pressed his fists against his chest. “..We at least got some sort of clue of what's going on..right..?”

 

“Barely.” Ichiro mumbled as he rested his head in his hands. “It doesn't look like there's a way out. We're goners..!” 

 

“Hey, woah, calm down!” Kenji said nervously. They shook their head and stood up. “There's no way we're gonna die here!” Hotaru looked up at them...there was clear worry in their eyes. They were just as scared as everyone else, despite their positive attitude. “If we just keep trying, we'll find a way out eventually!

 

“But we-” Ichiro was cut off by some mumbling behind the group, seemingly from behind the dining hall door. Hotaru leaned in to try and hear it. Who could that be..? They were all there..

 

“..You gotta..! Hey, don't…” Was all Hotaru could pick up, but it was enough. Monokuma was definitely the one behind the door, but..who was he talking to..?

 

Suddenly, Monokuma's voice could be heard loud and clear through the door. “GET OUT THERE!”

 

As some people in the group stood up in defense, the door swung open, and something was shoved inside. Once Hotaru could get a closer look, it appeared to be..another Monokuma. But this one was different. It's color scheme was different, containing blue and white instead of red and black. Not to mention something about it seemed...off about it.

 

“Ah-Ah…!” The monokuma look alike whined, waving its arms back and forth. “N-Noooo, I'm not ready!! U-Umm….” It pressed it's paws to its face, shaking its head. “Uh!! My name is..I am Nakukuma!! A-And-!”

 

The door flew open again, and Monokuma stormed in. “Do I have to do everything around here?!” He yelled as he stormed in and..hit Nakukuma on the back of the head. The strike caused him to lurch forward, whining in what would be assumed to be pain. Monokuma cleared his throat, facing the students and pressing his paws together. “Excuse him!! That's my...distant cousin, Nakukuma! He's a bit of a crybaby, please excuse him!”

 

“Aahhh…!!” Nakukuma cried, rubbing the spot of him head that Monokuma hit. “I'm n-not a crybaby! It hurts w-w-when you hit me, you know..!” Upon closer inspection, Nakukuma was...crying. Tears and all. What  _ were  _ these things, anyway..?

 

“What the hell?” Shiori yelled, standing up. Her hand slammed on the table in front of her. “You've got a friend now?”

 

“No,no!” Monokuma laughed. “I told you, distant cousins! I would've introduced you all to him when I made my big entrance, but… it just didn't work out!”

 

Nakukuma trotted up behind Monokuma, still crying. “I was t-too nervous, okay..? Cut me s..some slack here..!” 

 

Hotaru felt disoriented by all this. Was another Monokuma really necessary..? Considering the incredibly contrasting personality of Nakukuma, it didn't seem like it...maybe it was just another trick to confuse them all..

 

“Seriously, why's there another fuckin’ bear??” Scoffed Miyako. “Didja just need a fuck buddy? Are you sure you guys are actually cousins or whatever?”

 

“Of course I'm sure!!” Monokuma fumed, hopping up on the table. Yuuka jumped back in surprise. “Personally, I am disgusted that you would suggest such a thing!!” As he spoke, Nakukuma carefully pulled himself back on the table. “Nakukuma’s here for all your inquiries about the game! I'm a busy bear, you know! I won't always be around to assist to you students’ every need! And that's just not good for a principal! So..!” He rocked back and forth on his heels. “Nakukuma will be available upon request whenever you need! If you'll all look at your monopads, you'll see I've made a new addition! Press that little blue button in the bottom right corner, and Nakukuma will get to you as soon as possible!”

 

Hotaru frowned, pulling out her Monopad, and..there it was. A small button was added to the home screen of the tablet, with a little icon of Nakukuma’s head. So, Monokuma was leaving all the hard work to this other bear robot that just appeared. 

 

_ Sure, why not.  _ Hotaru sighed.  _ Not like anything else has made sense in this place.. _

 

“But!” Monokuma continued, walking back and forth around the table. “There are some exceptions! You cannot ask Nakukuma anything about how to get out, who's behind this, or anything about us or our programming! You get one warning, and we will not answer you! If you pressure Nakukuma into telling you anything he doesn't want to, you will be punished.”

 

“Wait, wait..!” Takara shook his head. “None of this makes sense! You can't possibly be that busy..! How could you be cousins if you're both stuffed toys?” He clenched his eyes shut for a moment. “Argh, I don't get any of this at all..!”

 

“Now, now,now!” Monokuma cackled. “Not everything needs to make sense! All you need to understand is that it's happening! If you don't accept reality, it's gonna come and stab ya in the chest one day!”

 

“Agh, no!” He shook his head, grabbing at his Monopad. Hotaru frowned, looking over at him. He seemed really frustrated over all this...but it was probably more than just how little sense the situation made.. “None of this makes any logical sense! How has no one come for us?! How do you even exist?!”

 

“Really, there's no reason to get so fired up!” Monokuma chuckled. Something about him seemed more intimidating when he was so calm about all of this.. “Some things in life just don't make sense! And you have to deal with that!”

 

Tamara let out another frustrated scream, throwing himself back into his chair. “This is stupid! Stupid and illogical! Why...why can't..” He trailed off, burying his face in his hands. Hotaru frowned, watching him. The poor boy was so worked up..and yet..

 

“Yeah, yeah!” Monokuma scoffed as if he didn't have a care in the world. “Whatever this is is great, really, but we really should be going. C'mon, Naku!” Monokuma took Nakukuma by the ear before hopping off the table and dragging the other bear out of the room.  Nakukuma was still crying all the way..

 

Yoshiki kneeled down next to Takara, a frown tugging at her lips. Of course she was worried...she probably understood what was wrong with him better than anyone. There was no way it was just because of how illogical this all was..then again, everyone was a stranger here. 

 

“Are you alright..?” Yoshiki asked softly, reaching out to touch Takara, but not quite yet. “Can I get you anything..?”

 

Takara shook his head firmly, pushing her hand away. He quickly stood up, his dark hair falling into his eyes. “No-, nonono, I’m fine, just-” Pushing away from the table, he moved back. Then he pulled out his notebook and started scribbling furiously. Without saying another word, Takara left the kitchen. Hotaru blinked a few times, frowning. There was definitely something wrong, but..she wouldn’t press it.

 

“..He must be having some sort of nervous breakdown.” Yoshiki observed, messing with a strand of her hair. “I think he needs some time to calm down. If I don’t see him again soon, I think I should check on him..”

 

“Screw that!” Kenji shouted as they stood, their hand slamming onto the table. “I’m checking on him right now! He’s freaked out, we can’t leave him alone.” Before anyone could get another word in, they bolted out the door.

 

“S-Sayuri..!” Yoshiki gasped. “Please wait!” She shook her head, then ran after Kenji as fast as she could. With a soft sigh, Hotaru rested her head in her arms. This day was looking to be a really long one..she had a feeling the rest of the few days they had left would be long, too. That was to say, if they didn’t get out before the time limit..

 

Hotaru was so lost in her own thoughts she didn’t even realize she was falling asleep. Her eyes shot open suddenly and she sat up, a short rush of adrenaline pounding through her body. She felt her muscles relax a bit once she took in her environment. She must have just taken a nap in the dining hall...her eyes wandered to the clock on the wall. 1:03 PM..had she really slept that long? It had been a long time since she took a nap, let alone one that long. Rubbing her eyes, she looked back down at the table. There was a hastily written note next to her arm. The words were hard to make out due to the handwriting, but it was legible enough.

 

_ Hey Misaki! _

_ You fell asleep after Takara ran off. I would’ve woken you up, but I didn’t wanna disturb you,lol. Whenever you wake up, Kenji and I are in my research lab if you need someone to hang out with! (It’s a few doors down from the rec room.) _

__ \- Kumi♡ _ _

 

 

Hotaru frowned. Research lab..? That’s what those locked doors were labelled as..but Takumi had one..? Weird. Hotaru shook her head, pocketing the note and standing up from the table. She stretched her arms above her head, yawning. She must have been more tired than she thought..the stress must have really been getting to her..

 

After taking a few moments to wake herself up, Hotaru left the dining hall. She couldn’t quite recall where the rec room was, so she took a quick look at her monopad. Once she could figure out  where she was going, she made it to Takumi’s research lab. It seemed much different then the day before..the door was totally finished and decorated, perfectly fitting to Takumi’s aesthetic. Hesitantly, Hotaru opened the door. 

 

“Hey, is anyone here..?” She muttered as she opened the door. To no surprise, Kenji, Takumi, Yuuka, and Ikirashi were sitting on the floor. Takumi had what looked to be tarot cards spread out in front of them, Kenji directly across from them.

 

“Oh, hiya, Misaki!” Takumi said with a wave, looking up from their cards. “Did you have a good nap?” While that would normally be a teasing question, Takumi sounded completely genuine. "These research labs are cool, huh? Nakukuma told me that they just got them fixed up for us all!"

 

“Oh, uh, yeah...cool..” Misaki fidgeted with one of the piercings in her ear as she spoke. She found a chair near the group on the floor and sat in it. “What are you guys doing?”

 

“I’m giving Kenji a tarot reading!” Takumi answered with a smile. Their smile dropped after a second, though. “I found these cards here, but…” They held up one of the cards laid out in front of them. Pictured was a watercolor painting of Monokuma, blindfolded and holding two unusually large swords. “They’re, um, Monokuma themed…” They shrugged, putting the card back down.

 

“Ah..” Hotaru clicked her tongue, dropping her hand from her ear. “Interesting..” She wasn’t much for these types of things, but she wasn’t going to judge Kumi’s hobbies.

 

“I think they’re..k-kinda cute...aheh..” Yuuka commented, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

“I think they’d be cuter if they had penguins!” Iki added, a wide grin spreading across her face. 

 

“P..Penguins?” Yuuka questioned.

 

“Yeah!” Ikirashi’s grin didn’t fade, and she wrapped her arms around Yuuka, who let out a surprised squeal. “They’re cute, they remind me of you! You’re a..cute little penguin!!”

 

“H-Huh??” Yuuka went bright red, squirming in Iki’s arms. Hotaru couldn’t help but chuckle a little. Iki wasn’t wrong, though. Yuuka was pretty cute.

 

Hotaru just sat and watched them for a while. Seeing everyone have fun like that..it took her away from all the stress for a while. It was a nice break from everything going on..knowing that everyone could still get along and have fun gave her hope. Maybe they could really work together to find a way out…

 

She would soon find that hope lost as the time limit continued to tick down.

 

It was the morning of the final day. The day before they would all be executed, that is, if they couldn’t find a way out. Or if someone were killed...Hotaru didn’t really want to think about it.

 

Still, she pulled herself out of bed. She had to stick with their routine, after all. Seeming suspicious on the final day really wouldn’t go well. She took a little longer to get dressed- she felt so worn out from looking so hard for a way out the past few days. Yet...they still found nothing. She just had to pray to every deity she could think of that today would be the day…

 

Trudging along, Hotaru made her way out of her room, shutting the door behind her. She didn’t get more than a few steps before Kenji ran up in front of her, out of breath. 

 

“T...Taru..!” They heaved, clearly panicked. “You gotta follow me! Right...huff..now..!” Before Hotaru could react, she ran off down the hallway again. Hotaru rushed behind her, barely taking the situation in.

 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, running behind Kenji. She didn’t get an answer.

 

But she didn’t need one. After running for a bit, Kenji stopped in the main hallway. Hotaru spotted Ikirashi kneeling near the staircase...what was happening? Out of breath, she inched closer to see what Iki was looking at.

 

“Oh my god-!”

 

Laying in front of Ikirashi, underneath the railings from the second floor, was Yuuka Mizushima’s corpse.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
